Without Me, You've Got it All
by The Things I've Seen
Summary: "Girl, save your soul; before you're too far gone, before nothing can be done." Ella of Arendelle has simple wants - mainly to ace her exams and to figure out why she can't find any boy attractive. But when more Isle kids arrive in Auradon, it's Ingrid Westergaard, daughter of Hans, that turns her world upside down, and makes Ella question everything she ever knew about herself.
1. eclipse

Author's Notes: I'm a total slut for Descendants. I'm even more of a slut for Descendants OCs. The possibilities are practically endless. And when this idea popped into my mind…well, I just had to write it. Enjoy! And review, if you are so inclined.

* * *

Ella knows it's going to be an interesting day when King Ben says he has another announcement to make.

A groan emerges from the table when the speakers overhead crackle as the morning announcements come to a close. Usually, no one bothers to listen to them, but whenever King Ben comes on…well, you know it's important

"I bet you five dollars Ben and Mal are announcing their engagement," Finn Fitzherbert says. Ella isn't surprised that Finn is the first to speak; in fact, she expects it. Finn is chatty and bright, and she never, _ever_ shuts up. It's a weird departure from her older sister, Anxelin – who prefers texting to speaking.

Merin DunBroch – the eldest of the DunBroch triplets – is the first to respond. "No way. We would have heard about it already." Her voice has just the lightest traces of the accent her mother bears – something that all three redheaded kids have in common (though little else).

"Maybe she got knocked up," says Sara White. "I mean, that's a possibility, right?"

Finn shakes her head. "We would have seen a bump."

"Oh, come _on_ , guys," Melody says. "Are you totally oblivious?"

Ella raises one eyebrow at the dark-haired girl, but declines to speak. Instead, she focuses her gaze on her pastel blue nails.

"More Isle of the Lost kids," Anders says. He's the only boy at the table, and Ella's cousin. He's tall and bulky, with thick red hair and brown eyes, and is on the school's Tourney team. "Ben wanted more of 'em to be shipped to Auradon."

"Exactly." Melody says.

"Which ones, though?" Sara asks.

The prospects of more Isle kids bring a million theories to the table. Melody says that it'll probably be another four kids; Finn speculates that it'll be more than four; Merin wonders aloud whether or not they'll ever let Gaston's kids into Auradon, to which everyone scoffs at.

"When'd he say to go to the auditorium?" Ella asks, interrupting the group. It's the first thing she has said since King Ben has spoken, and she says it loud enough so that the entire table falls to a hush as she speaks.

Ella of Arendelle isn't usually so quiet. When you grow up with an aunt as talkative as hers', it's hard to be entirely silent. Yet the idea of more Isle of the Lost children disturbs her.

It isn't like she hates Mal and her gang. In fact, she's kinda-sorta friends with Evie and Carlos. But just because they're the outliers doesn't mean the entirety of the island is like that. For all they know, the rest are truly rotten to the core – and can't be changed for the better, either.

Anders tosses the scraps of his lunch into a nearby trash can, not even bothering to look where he's throwing. He shrugs. "Like, twenty minutes." Melody nods in agreement.

The blonde starts swirling around the spoon that's in the tea she brought to school, staring at the brown liquid. "'Kay," she replies halfheartedly.

Merin runs a hand through her short red curls. "You alright, Ella?"

"Yeah, it's nothing." Ella smiles lopsidedly. "Just tired."

Anders jams an elbow into his cousin lightly – luckily, she had just stopped spinning the spoon around in her tea, or else there would have been a very large and very noticeable brown stain on her pale blue dress. "She probably thinks Isle guys are hot. Ten bucks says she'll try and flirt with the new guys."

Her stomach churns a bit. Anders always jokes about her flirting with guys, but the truth is, she's never done it. Not once. Which is strange, she thinks, because nearly every other girl she knows flirts – some shamelessly, some rarely, and some fall in-between. There are handsome boys, sure – of course they are, it's an entire school filled with princes and princesses. Yet while most fawn over people like King Ben and Chad Charming, Ella feels…nothing.

But before she can try and dig deeper into that discomfort, Anders pulls her out of her thoughts. "Hey, earth to Ella. We're all about to go to the auditorium. You in?"

Ella smiles again, smoothing the ruffles out of her dress. "Of course," she answers, because that's the right thing to say, and after all, she doesn't want to disappoint.

* * *

Sometimes, Ella wonders if Ben ever considers wearing anything other than blue and yellow.

That doesn't mean he doesn't look dashing in those colors. In fact, he looks…regal. Which makes sense – he's the king, after all. But still, she sometimes has to ask herself what he would look like in colors beside gold and royal blue.

Mal, too – even though it's been nearly half a year since she's arrived from the Isle, she still likes to wear a variety of purples, greens, and blacks. That, combined with her distinctive hair color, makes her visible even in the densest of crowds.

Then again, everyone else is color coded, so why would they be exceptions? Even Ella – she found herself wearing light blues and whites more often than not.

And in Auradon Prep's auditorium, it is a rainbow of pastels (save for the distinctive clothes that the Isle kids wore). There are sprinklings of the distinctive blue and yellow school colors, as well, most notably in the letterman jackets that the Tourney kids wear, and the majority of them sit up front. Ella could see the perfectly groomed Chad Charming amongst them (who Finn, she knows, has held a grudge towards ever since he cheated on her older sister with at least twelve other girls).

"As you all know, I let four children from the Isle of the Lost come to the USA," Ben says. "And due to the resounding success we had with allowing them to live here, I have decided to let more Isle kids come to Auradon."

The hush that had previously fallen over the students immediately ceases; first as a dull roar, but eventually the murmurs begin to increase in volume.

Mal walks up to the podium that Ben is standing on, leans towards the mic, and practically screeches, "Shut _up_!" As if she waves a wand and says "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo", the crowd quickly does exactly as she says.

Ben blushes lightly, which makes Finn elbow Ella and snicker "lovebirds" into her ear. He coughs, and then continues, "Thanks, Mal. As I said, I'm allowing more teenagers from the Isle of the Lost to come to our country. I have already chosen those who I've decided need our help."

Ella raises her eyebrows; her stomach begins to churn, worrying about whom, exactly, the King decides will be moving to Auradon.

"The children of the following villains will arrive at Auradon in the next week: Anastasia Tremaine, Mother Gothel, the Queen of Hearts, and Hans, ex-Prince of the Southern Isles." Ben looks rather pleased with himself, all things considered; he looks like he's just ordered a thousand cream cakes instead of discussing the most dastardly villains to ever walk the face of the planet.

Her eyes widen. Her stomach decides to plummet into the depths of the earth rather than continue churning. It is as if the entire world decides to stop moving.

Hans' kid. Kids? Who knows. But they are going to arrive at Auradon in less than a week. She is going to have to face the kid whose father tried to murder both her mother and her aunt. The children of the man who was so sweet, so charming at first, but then so cold, so cruel, so calculating. And he's probably raised his kids to act exactly the same, sickeningly, cloyingly sweet, and Gods, this is something she never wanted to occur.

 _This is_ not _happening._ Ella thinks.

And while the blood rushes to her ears, making the rest of Ben's speech unheard, she leaves the auditorium. She can feel eyes settle on her back as she pushes the heavy door open, watching eagerly, probably thirsty for her reaction. She doesn't want to see anyone, least of all the King. She doesn't even want to be at school anymore. Maybe if she vomits up her breakfast, they'll let her go back home.

The hallways are empty, the white-and-blue tiles scuffed from years of sneakers rubbing against them constantly. The blue lockers become a blur as Ella practically runs to the bathroom, and before she knows it, she actually has vomited. Luckily, she at least made it to the toilet.

She's shaking and palpitating, and the bathroom floor she's kneeling on is as cold as the ice her mother can make. She hates this, hates her disgusting reaction, hates that Ben is letting his kid (kids?) come to Auradon, hates that this is the life she's going to have to live now, seeing redhead villains in her classes, in the hallways, always one step ahead of her, knowing exactly how she's going to react. They're going to play with her, make her a pawn in their games, and she doesn't want that, she'd never want that in a million years.

"Are you okay?" From behind, Ella can hear Finn's voice – not as brash and excited as it usually is, but rather concerned and soft.

The blonde realizes she didn't even have the decency to lock the bathroom stall. "No, I'm not okay, Finn."

"Ellie," the brunette sighs, "I get it, you aren't happy about this, but it's not like Ben's out to get you." She sees the mess her second cousin made, and wrinkles her nose. "Ew."

"He's letting their kids here. Their dad tried to murder my family." Ella says. Her voice is sharp, cold, just like the icicles that hang from her family's castle in the winter. She has to wonder – does her mother know? How long has she known? What is she going to do about it?

"Yeah, and Gothel's mom kept my mom locked up in a tower for eighteen years." Finn replies. "But you have to let the past go. Look at Mal and Evie and Carlos and Jay. They're not at all like their parents are. You like Evie. You're friends with her. Do you think she'd make you eat a poisoned apple? Or Mal. Do you think she'd make you prick your finger on a wheel and fall into an eternal sleep?"

"But a sociopath's kid—"

"Just 'cause their dad's an utter psycho doesn't mean they are, too. Ben's not an idiot, Ella. He wouldn't let someone who would actually hurt you – or any of us, for that matter – to come to Auradon." Finn sounds so confident in what she's saying, and Ella knows that she's just trying to make the both of them feel better about what's going to happen.

Ella doesn't respond. She doesn't know what to say anymore. There are a billion thoughts running through her head, and quite a few of them involve words that she wouldn't dare say aloud.

Finn, not ever being comfortable with utter silence, decides to fill the void with her own voice. "You made quite an exit. You acted like Ben had ordered everyone in Auradon to hunt you down or something. You probably made him feel like crap." Even though she can't see her face, Ella knows that Finn has some obnoxious smirk on her face.

"Do you think I can go back home?" Ella asks quietly. She sounds like she's five again: Anders telling her yet another horror story about Hans, which leads to her having nightmares, and crawling into her mother's bed at two in the morning, scared to death that she's going to be cut in half by a sword. The image of her aunt becoming a frozen statue, her eyes glazed over, determined to save her mother, even at the cost of her own life; the determined, hollow glint in Hans's eyes as he lifts his heavy, intricately-designed sword in the air, fixated on murdering the newly-crowned Queen…

Finn surveys the scene again, putting her hand on her hips. "Considering you projectile vomited the entirety of your guts into a toilet, I think so."

Her entire body shakes; she feels weak, so weak. This entire mess has drained her, and she knows that it isn't Ben's fault, not really. Ben is sweet and caring, and he wouldn't ever want to hurt anyone.

"Come on, let's go get the office to call your mom," Finn says. She puts a hand on Ella's shoulder, gently, as if she might break into a million pieces if she grips any harder (which, to be honest, Ella feels like might happen).

Ella tries to stand up, feeling weak in the knees. She's afraid she might collapse at any moment, so she leans into Finn, who wraps an arm around her shoulders. She feels so melodramatic, and she knows that she doesn't deserve this sort of pity or sympathy.

As they walk slowly towards the main offices at the front of the school, Ella can hear Ben's voice echoing faintly. He's still talking, something about reminders of protocol when Isle of the Lost kids arrive at Auradon Prep, and though Ella attempts to make an effort to listen, she just can't. Her ears are ringing somewhat, a soft pulse that won't go away.

"Do you think I'm overreacting?" She says, counting the tiles on the floor.

Finn pauses for the briefest of moments. "Somewhat. But I mean…I get it. I think you're being a little pessimistic, and I definitely think you're exaggerating the seriousness of the situation, but…well…their dad was…really evil." It's so strange, seeing Finn sort of at a loss for words, and Ella wants to laugh, because really, who expected Finn Fitzherbert, of all people, to not know what to say?

But she doesn't. Her stomach is still doing somersaults, even when she flops into a chair in the office. The gray-haired secretary purses her lips and shakes her head when Finn explains the situation, and Ella's relieved when Finn's the one who calls her mother.

"You need to come and pick Ella up," Finn says, glancing towards her. "She puked…She's sort of sick, yeah. You'll know why soon enough, Aunt Elsa." She's always called her Aunt Elsa, just like how Ella's always called Finn's mom Aunt Rapunzel. For some reason, it sticks out in her mind, and she doesn't even notice that their call is over until Finn sits next to her.

The bell rings, and soon enough, the chatter of students starts to begin as they pour out of the auditorium. Ella wonders how many people are talking about her leaving early, how many of them are already beginning forming their theories about what Ella's going to do now. It's a conceited notion to ponder, she knows, but it stays in her mind, refusing to leave until Finn shakes her arm lightly.

"C'mon, Ellie," the green-eyed girl says, "Your mom texted me. She's out front."

"Are you gonna leave, too?" Ella asks. She wants nothing more than to go and see her mother, to find some reassurance in her words.

Finn shakes her head. "Nah. I'll…I'm gonna be fine, I promise. I'll text or call you…or something. During lunch, maybe. Is that okay? Do you wanna be left alone?"

"Just for a little bit. You can text me if you want." Ella manages to stand up on her own, at the least. She grips the door's silver handle, taking a deep breath. "See you later, Finny." And before Finn can respond, Ella leaves – leaves her behind, leaves the school behind, leaves everything behind.

* * *

Ella's always surprised that guards don't drive her to school. She knows that her mother is somewhat protective of her – well, somewhat would be an understatement, but still – so it would make sense that they would drive her to and from school, but instead it's her mom.

Not that she minds. She'd much rather see her mother than some burly guard at the moment.

She slides into the car seat. Her eyes are red and somewhat swollen; her throat feels like it hasn't had a drop of water in weeks.

"What happened?" Queen Elsa of Arendelle is usually quite calm and composed; at 41, and with half of her life in isolation from the rest of the world, she's learned to keep her feelings quelled, for the most part. But when it comes to her daughter, it always seems like that demeanor is gone. Maybe it comes with the territory of having the world's most over-protective mother; she's always somewhat frantic when something happens to Ella.

The younger of the two stares out of the windshield. She can't bring herself to look right at her mother. "I threw up."

There's a soft sigh, one that lets Ella know she's being stubborn. "I gathered that, yes."

"…I threw up 'cause they're letting more Isle of the Lost kids to come to Auradon." She feels like an idiot as she says that, because when she puts it that way, it's a relatively minor thing to throw up over.

She isn't looking, but Ella knows her mom is raising one arched eyebrow up, like she can't believe what she's hearing. "You didn't have that sort of reaction the first time."

There's a pregnant pause in the air for an excruciatingly long time. Elsa doesn't press, but the pressure of telling her everything gets to Ella. "They're letting Hans's kids come to Auradon, Mother. I'm going to have to…I'm going to have to see them every day. I don't know if I can handle that."

Neither of them speaks for several minutes. Elsa starts up the car, starting the trip back to their castle. Ella racks her head, trying to figure out if she said anything wrong. Her mother always has a solution to everything; she's Queen Elsa of Arendelle, she never has an incorrect answer for anything.

The school is long out of sight when her mother responds. "If you want, we can castle-school you, like we did when you were little. If it really bothers you that much…maybe it'd be best if we did that again. We could get you several tutors. It's not that difficult."

Ella hadn't minded when she was castle-schooled. She didn't go to Auradon Primary until she was eight, when her mother, her aunt, and her uncle were positive that she didn't inherit her mother's powers, until they were positive she wouldn't accidentally hurt anyone. And though it seems like a good idea now…is it really wise to back away?

God. She's so confused. She should be eager to go back to castle-schooling, to get away from Hans and whatever descendants he has. But at the same time…she'd be leaving behind all the friends she's made, the social life that she's content with, the vast variety of classes that she can choose from, even the teachers.

"I don't know," Ella squeaks out. "It…it sounds like a good idea. But I'd miss everyone…and…I don't know, Mom. I don't know what to do."

"Oh, honey," Elsa says, her voice laced with concern. "I'm not going to force you to be castle-schooled; I'm not going to force you to stay at Auradon Prep, either. That choice is for you to make. But I promise you, either way, they won't hurt you. I won't let them."

The scenery outside of the car is a blur, greens and blues and yellows and grays passing them by without a second thought.

To back out would be cowardly, wouldn't it? All things considered. Her mother tried to back out and escape her problems – and look where that got her.

Ella isn't looking at her mother when she says that she wants to stay at Auradon Prep.

She doesn't look at her mother when they finally arrive at the castle, either. Or when they walk inside. She doesn't look at Aunt Anna, either, or Uncle Kristoff. She just walks as swiftly as she can to her bedroom.

And her bedroom is her sanctuary; she has no reason to venture outside for the rest of the day, unless her mother tries to drag her into the dining room.

It's like most of the things in her life – blue. A light pastel blue, to be exact. It's the exact same color it's been since she was born, sans the images that Uncle Kristoff had painted in the months before she was born. There had been a giant stencil of a reindeer on one wall and a crown on the opposite wall. Then there had been the giant portrait hanging on one wall of her, her mother, Aunt Anna, Uncle Kristoff, and her cousins, Anders and Kristine. Luckily, she had managed to convince her mother when she was thirteen to paint the reindeer and crown stencils over and put the oil painting in one of the many hallways in their castle.

Her phone buzzes multiple times as she puts it on her nightstand and flops into her large canopy bed, no doubt texts from various people; Finn, Sara, Melody, maybe Merin. Reluctantly, she grabs it; to ignore anyone would make her cause even more of a scene than she already has.

And, surprisingly, though she can see Finn's name at the bottom of the notifications, the top three are from none other than Evie.

" _r u okay?"_

" _we all saw you run out of the audit."_

" _carlos told me u went home."_

Sighing, Ella swipes right on the most recent notification, then starts typing swiftly.

" _I'm not okay, but not not okay. IDK. It's weird. I went home."_

She sends that, then, after a moment's pause, starts typing again.

" _Tell me all you know about Hans's kid."_

Evie starts responding almost immediately. Not that Ella expected anything else; even if she's a Villain Kid, Evie is…well…nice. Not quite as snarky as Mal, but not somewhat introverted like Carlos is, and not as sporty as Jay. Evie is the one Ella likes the most out of the four, and she supposes that Evie must like her too, considering she bothered to text her (and during class, too).

" _idk much. i'll ask mal tho…i bet she knows."_

" _OK."_

Not even fifteen minutes later, as Ella is texting Melody in an attempt to persuade her that, yes, she's fine, and no, she doesn't need to have anyone over after school, she gets another text from Evie.

" _her name is ingrid. she was castle schooled. except she didnt live in a castle...more like a crummy shack...youll know her as soon as you see her bright red hair. shes really tall and shes really snotty. sarcastic. is obsessed with becoming a princess. has it in for your mom. once told mal she would love to trick you into handing her the keys to your queendom (w/e that means). likes to sneak out and party when her dad is asleep. and dances with everyone. probably does more than dance, mal says. thats all she knows."_

Ella crinkles her nose at all she's been told. She assumed that the girl would be more like her dad – utterly charming, but ice cold to the bone. But apparently, she's…well…a word that she doesn't like to say aloud.

And, of course, she has it in for her mom. Just lovely.

She doesn't bother replying to anyone else once she learns of this Ingrid. She just puts her phone back on the nightstand and curls up into a ball. Bright red hair – Ariel bright? She wonders how much Ingrid resembles her father, wonders if she has the same cold green eyes that Aunt Anna said he has, wonders what she'll try to do as soon as she arrives.

She closes her eyes. She thinks it's for a few seconds, but all of a sudden, Kristine is opening the door to her bedroom, dropping her backpack on the floor. Her digital clock reads 3:25 PM.

"Oh, my _Gods_ ," Kristine says, sitting on the edge of Ella's bed and kicking off her green and black shoes. "I cannot _believe_ Ben. What does he think he's doing? Hel- _lo_! This is a disaster begging to happen. Mal told me all about this kid, and she's a total witch. She's got it out for us. Do you think she's good with a sword? She'll probably _behead_ us."

Well. At least _Kristine_ hasn't had as bad as a reaction as Ella has.

Ella sits up, rubbing her eyes. "Somehow, I don't think that's allowed. Her owning a sword or beheading us."

"Are you okay?" Kristine asks as she lets her blonde hair down, letting it fall down to her shoulders. "Everyone knows what happened. Finn and I have been trying to do damage control for you after you fell off the face of the earth and stopped texting Melody and Evie. No one blames you," she adds quickly, "Most everyone said they'd act the same, too. Even Ally Wonderland kind of acted a bit loony – then again, she's _always_ loony."

"I'm…I don't know what I am, Kris. How's Anders? Is he alright?" She doesn't want to focus on herself anymore.

Kristine shrugs. "Alright enough to go to Tourney practice. He didn't say anything about it. Dad is absolutely bonkers over this Ingrid witch coming to Auradon, though. He's convinced she's going to slit all our throats in the middle of the night or something. Or maybe date Anders. I tried to tell him that Anders' head is too thick to comprehend that someone is flirting with him, but you know Dad…"

"When are they coming? All the new Villain Kids?" Ella asks. If she lets Kristine ramble on any longer about Anders and his thick skull, she'll go on until midnight.

Kristine has a sheepish grin on her face now. "Um. Ben sorta gave us a short notice on their arrival…like…a _really_ short notice."

"Exactly how short?"

"They may, just maybe, be arriving as early as tomorrow." She squeaks out. "But not definitely?"

Ella stares blankly at her cousin.

Kristine stares back.

Tomorrow. She might not even have twenty-four hours to prepare for Ingrid Westergaard's arrival.

She might just strangle Ben before he has a chance to greet the new Isle of the Lost residents.


	2. liar, liar

AN: Hey, everyone! I appreciate the follows, favorites, and review I've gotten. :) I'll definitely be replying to your review in a PM soon, pinksakura271! I hope that this chapter lives up to the first one; I hope to have the next one written the day or two after Christmas. So happy holidays, everyone, and enjoy (and review, if you'd like)! 3

* * *

Ella would much rather stay at home the next day. She wants nothing more than to stay curled up in her bed, under thick blankets much more suitable for the winter than for the late-summer-barely-fall weather, and maybe watch her favorite show, _Tales of Our Lives_. She wants her mother to bring her Skolbrod, or maybe have Sven's son, Bjorn, to curl up on the end of the bed with her.

But that doesn't happen. What does happen, however, is that her mother gently wakes her up at 5:30 AM, and reluctantly, Ella gets ready for school – showers, applies makeup, picks out a decent looking outfit, stares at herself in the mirror and sighs deeply. She receives a hug from her mother, a lung-crushing hug from her uncle, and a much gentler hug from her aunt. She gets her hair ruffled from Anders (which makes her scream internally, as she just spent ten minutes brushing it), and she gets a reassuring-but-not-really smile from Kristine.

The car ride to Auradon Prep is awkward, to say the least. Elsa and Kristine try to make small talk, but Anders is quiet (as usual) and Ella is anxious (somewhat usual). Ella can see the looks her mother gives her every so often, when she thinks she isn't looking; the crinkle between her eyebrows, the frown, the worried look in her eyes.

When they finally arrive at AP, there's already a limo near the entrance. Ella's stomach begins to do somersaults, and her legs turn to jelly. She doesn't want to get out of the car, but Kristine and Anders are already out, and Kristine grabs on her arm lightly, and her mother says something, but the ringing in Ella's ears makes it impossible to hear. She can see Ben greeting someone, a group of someone's, actually, and she sees Mal, too, always by his side, always ready to pounce if someone insults him (which no one in Auradon would do, really).

Her mother drives off, now, and she's sure that her mother watched her as she left, and she feels sick, so sick. She wants to go back home, she wants to leave and never come back, but she made her decision, she's not going to be castle schooled, because that would be cowardly, and she isn't a coward, is she?

There's four of them, four new villain kids. A girl in black and red, another with thick black curls, a boy with bronze hair. And the girl in the front, the one who's talking to Ben…well, she makes Ella's heart stop.

"It's going to be okay," Kristine whispers in Ella's ear. Ella stands up straight, takes a deep breath. The ringing in her ears subsides. Anders – where has he gone? He's left. Figures. He must be nervous, too. Of course he is.

"Ella!" Ben says, a smile on his face. He's acting as if there's nothing wrong, as if the daughter of the man who tried to murder her family isn't right in front of them. "I'd like you to meet Ginny Gothel, Anthony Tremaine, Hanna Hearts, and Ingrid Westergaard."

Ginny sneers at her. Anthony waves. Hanna doesn't even acknowledge her existence.

"And they've all promised to play nice, right?" Mal says, giving Ingrid in particular a certain look. If she gave Ella the same look, she'd probably die right there and then; she doesn't know how anyone else can stand it.

"I can't make any promises, Mal." Ingrid says.

She takes a good, long look at Ingrid, now that she's spoken.

If she really wants to be dramatic, she could say that Ingrid Westergaard is her perfect foil in every shape and form. Her red hair, green eyes, and dark red lips contrasts her blonde hair, blue eyes, and pink lips starkly. She wears a patched jean jacket, paired with white jeans and a dark purple shirt – something that Ella didn't really expect, but whatever.

She starts to really regret staying outside when Ingrid saunters right up to her, a devilish smirk on her lips. Her arms are folded across her chest, one hand tapping her arm as if she expects Ella to start speaking at any moment. Her hips are swayed to one side, resting the majority of her weight on that side.

"Well, well, well. Look who we have here. You must be none other than Princess Ella. It's a pleasure to meet you, your majesty." Ella feels green eyes scrutinizing her, taking up her image greedily, as if she's hungry for her, like the big bad wolf. "I must say, you're more… _alluring_ …than I imagined you to be. Here I thought you'd be a scrawny little…well, let's just say you've already exceeded my admittedly low expectations."

There's a type of acid in Ella's voice that she's never heard before when she responds. "And you've already failed mine. Here I thought your father would have taught you some sort of manners."

Ingrid grins now, displaying perfectly white teeth (how they all manage to achieve that with the rotten diet they're fed, Ella can't explain). "When you're from the Isle of the Lost, you don't need manners, no matter if you're technically royalty or not."

"Well, you're not on the Isle anymore. You're in the United States of Auradon, and here, manners are everything." She knows she's stalling the tour for the Villain Kids with the banter she's displaying; she knows she must be irritating Ben, at the very least. But right now, Ella doesn't care.

"You can take the kid out of the Isle," Ingrid says, "but you can't take the Isle out of the kid."

"Why don't you go and –"

"How about we start the tour instead?" Ben interrupts, flashing a brilliantly charming smile that makes most ladies swoon. "If you'll all follow me…" He gives Ella a look; one that tells her that he's sorry, one that makes her feel bad for wanting to strangle Ben not twenty-four hours ago. "You don't wanna come, do you, Ella? Or you, Kristine?"

"No," Ella swiftly responds. "Not at all."

Kristine shrugs. "Me neither. Sorry, Ben."

Ben gives another smile, though not quite as big as the one he had on a few moments ago. "That's alright."

"What? Am I too hideous to bear being near?" Ingrid says.

The Tremaine boy – Anthony? – nudges her with his elbow. "When you look in a mirror, your reflection screams."

"When you look in them, they shatter," the redhead fires back.

"When _you_ look in them –"

"Are we just going to throw insults at each other all day, or are we going to get on with the tour?" The girl with thick black curls (Ginny?) groans. She definitely looks like Gothel's daughter – her hair goes to the small of her back, and paired with her smooth, pale skin and large grey eyes, well, there's no denying who her mother is. To further prove it, the dress she's wearing looks identical to her mother's, save for the fact that it reaches her knees, and there are no sleeves.

Anthony tosses a glance Ginny's way. "Throw insults at each other." There's an eye roll from the girl as a response.

"Alright, whatever," Kristine says before the Villain Kids can continue their spat, "Ella and I are going to go now. See you later, Ben. See you, Mal."

Ben nods in their direction. "I'll see you guys later. Ella, talk to me later, okay?"

"Uh, sure," Ella replies, somewhat awkwardly.

Mal smiles (though Ella thinks it's not quite as genuine as Ben's). "'Bye, you two."

"C'mon, Ellie, let's go see Finn and Ruby." Kristine says, not bothering to give any more farewells. She grabs Ella's arm (slightly tighter than she usually would, too), and before she knows it, the blonde is half-dragged to the cafeteria, where she gets lost in the sea of chattering that her friends make.

* * *

The beginning of the school day is…interesting, to say the least. The most prominent events (besides the Arrival of the Villain Kids) are most everyone asking how she is, if she's okay, and if they can do anything to help her. Every time Ben sees her in the hallways, he gives her a look, as if he's trying to apologize, or that he wants to make it up to her.

Her classes go by in a daze; she can't even remember half of what her teachers were talking about. Ingrid Westergaard is in three of her classes; AP World History, Painting 1, and Literature and Composition. She sees flashes of red hair all throughout the day, and she makes sure to avoid the girl like the plague. When it's time for lunch, rather than go and eat with her friends, she hides in the vast library.

Not that she really minds hiding in the library. She likes it. She likes to read. She always has. Ever since she was a little girl, a lot of her free time has been spent reading books of all sorts, whether non-fiction or fiction. She'd be reading A History of Auradon and the Surrounding Areas one day, then Just Three Wishes the next. Whereas her mother's passion is in mathematics (particularly geometry), Ella's is in reading and writing.

So it makes sense to hide out in the library. Even if Westergaard decides to go searching for her, the library is so large that she might never find her.

This is why she's examining the autobiographies and biographies as if they're the most interesting things in the known universe. There's another stack of books nearby, ones that must have seemingly been hidden away by kids who found something more interesting and were too lazy to put it all back. _Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall: A Tale of Daggers, Dwarves, and Apples, A History of the Lineage of Arendelle, The Complete Encyclopedia of Those Imprisoned on the Isle of the Lost_ …well, there's a plethora of books, to say the least.

The Lineage of Arendelle book is somewhat amusing to Ella; she gets a kick out of seeing her mother or herself in a book. So, of course, she has to read it.

It also brings back the puzzling question of who her father is; the only mention of him is in one paragraph.

' _The queen has never spoken of who she met who enchanted her so; rumors, as they are apt to do, have flown around ever since the announcement of her pregnancy. A man of lower status, a king from a faraway land, perhaps even a king who is already betrothed…no one quite knows. All that is 'official' is the announcement of her being with child, who arrived into the world five months later. Nothing about the princess has given away any hint of who her father is, either; with blonde hair, blue eyes, and pale skin, she is the splitting image of her mother…'_

This is, essentially, what every book that's ever mentioned her has said: blah blah blah, no one knows who Queen Elsa had a rendezvous with, rumors abound, announcement of pregnancy four months in. Not that her mom has ever told a soul, it seems; whenever Ella asked when she was younger, she'd simply get a vague answer and was reassured that her father is proud of her.

Is. Meaning that he's alive. Somewhere.

Not that it matters anymore. She's obviously never going to get this answer unless it's a tell tale confession on a deathbed or whatever. So, with a sigh, Ella puts the book back on the pile, deciding to see if there are any more interesting books on the shelves.

Turning to the thick volumes beside her, she traces the titles of the books with her index finger. She can hear the tick-tick-tick of the clocks throughout the library, and the quiet page-turning of students who are studying, researching, or reading for leisure. The books are thick, many of them bound in leather, with gold or silver lettering on the side. Some of the books were donated several years ago from Queen Belle's personal library, and as a result, are quite old. There are even some from before Auradon's conception; she's seen a few detailing the history of the countries before they had been united into one major country. They're all their own provinces, still; Arendelle, Agrabah, and Corona, for example, are all still considered royal, with their own monarchies. But all their power is still lesser than Beast and Belle's (and now Ben's).

All of a sudden, Ella's thrown out of her thoughts by a quiet shuffling of footsteps coming up behind her. She turns around, expecting Finn or Merin, perhaps giving her the homework she needs to make up for. But instead of anyone she's comfortable with, it's Ingrid. Ingrid, with a smile that would rival Ben's in its' charm. Ingrid, who's looking rather…happy, a very different stance than what she had this morning; instead of smug or malice, she looks like she's already become an Auradon kid and turned over to the 'good' side.

"I wanted to apologize for our little spat earlier today. It's clear that we got off on the wrong foot, and I want to make amends for that." She's standing up straight now, her shoulders even, her eyes earnest. "How about we have a proper introduction? I'm Ingrid Westergaard." She sticks a gloved hand out, her fingertips still peeking out from dark purple leather.

Ella hesitates for a moment. She knows that this is a trap; there's no way on earth that Ingrid truly wants to make amends. But, on the other hand, if she rejects this, the consequences may be awful. So, reluctantly, she grabs Ingrid's hand, giving it a firm shake. Ingrid's skin is warm to the touch, and when their skin meets, it feels like a zap of electricity, which makes Ella jerk back in shock. "I…" she's at a loss for words at first. Finally, she swallows, then says, "Princess Elisabet Annelin of Arendelle. But call me Ella."

"A gorgeous name for a gorgeous girl." If Ingrid noticed the spark when their skin met, she doesn't show it; she doesn't react to Ella's loss of words, either. "I wanted you to know that I'm truly grateful to have the opportunity to come to Auradon, Princess. And that I'm truly sorry for what my father has done to your family."

She doesn't believe a word of what the redhead is saying. There's no way she can turn a complete one-eighty like this. This is just another facet of her father showing through in the girl. But she can't let Ingrid know that she's onto her; that'd be stupid of her.

"Of course. What your father did wasn't your fault." Ella hopes that her smile looks at least somewhat genuine.

Ella has to admit, Ingrid really does put up a decent enough of a façade; she looks genuinely relieved when the princess accepts her 'apology'. The redheaded girl opens her mouth to say something; before she can say more, however, the ringing of the school bell interrupts.

"Sorry, have to get to Biology," Ella says, quickly walking away before Ingrid can try and keep her there any longer.

* * *

There's no more classes that she has to share with the Westergaard girl, luckily enough.

Her locker is in the middle of Finn's and Meredith Dunbroch's, so she's hearing them chatter away as she stuffs her Writing notebook into her turquoise backpack.

"Seriously, though, who cares what Chad Charming is going to be wearing to some stupid party that he's throwing next month? Honestly, after what he did to my sister, I'm surprised anyone gives a s—"

"Where is your sister, anyhow?" Ella interrupts. She doesn't like to hear anyone cussing (and hardly anyone does, luckily…save for her cousin).

"Which one? Anxelin? Probably flirting with Alex Liddel," Finn scoffs. "I'm pretty sure he's been hanging around in Wonderland too much, if you know what I mean. All those caterpillars and their hookahs…"

"Hookahs have tobacco in them, Finn, not something else," Meredith says. "Alex is just…out there, that's all."

"Whatever. Are you gonna hang out at my house or not?" Finn doesn't like being corrected, especially not by Meredith (who Finn likes to jokingly call a know-it-all).

The redhead shrugs. "Dunno. Maybe later. Not right now. I'll have to ask my mams."

Honestly, Ella thinks a lot of the reason two of the three DunBroch triplets hang out with Finn is because she doesn't make that huge a deal about them having two mothers. Apparently, this was a really big deal back in the day; according to Ella's mother, at least. There's an unspoken rule in Auradon that if you're attracted to the same gender, you either suck it up and pretend to like the opposite, or you just never date. Merida DunBroch seems to have defied the majority of expectations and social rules; she made a big fuss about having an arranged marriage when she was sixteen, and she made even bigger waves when she decided she was going to be marrying a lower class girl. A lot of people didn't seem to like that, and it seems that they've passed that distaste onto their children; it's why the DunBroch triplets have never been and will never be considered popular.

Not that Ella cares. It's none of her business, and, well, she'd be a bit of a hypocrite if she didn't like Merida for liking girls. Especially considering that she's always had an inkling she'd walk down that same path.

"Okay, that's cool, just text me to let me know." Finn brings Ella out of her thoughts (something she's finding herself doing quite often lately) by her response. The green-eyed girl turns to Ella, and says, "Are you gonna come over, too?"

"No," Ella says. "I've got…homework to do…"

Finn slams her locker shut as she slings her backpack over one shoulder. "And you're going to be thinking about Ingrid Westergaard all night, too, aren't you?"

"No!" Ella gasps. "No. I'm not. No way. I'm not gonna let her ruin my night."

"Y'know," Meredith jokes awkwardly, "My mam says she was the same way before she met my other mam. Hated each other. Do you gotta crush or somethin'?"

The glare the blonde gives her could give Meredith a frozen heart. "No. No crushes. Don't joke about that. It's not funny."

"I hear she was a real witch to you this morning." Of course Finn knows what happened. She seems to know everything that happens almost as soon as they occur. Then again, Kristine probably told her. "You gonna be alright?"

"I guess. It's not a big deal. Whatever."

Finn cocks one eyebrow. "She's in some of our classes. You're going to have to deal with her sooner or later."

"I know, Finn! Just…just stop talking about her. Ingrid Westergaard is stupid and probably evil, Ben's idea of bringing her to Auradon is stupid, and this entire conversation is stupid. If I hear the name Ingrid Westergaard one more time, I think I'm going to scream."

"Ingrid Westergaard." Finn always likes to annoy people. It's a talent of hers.

But before she really does scream, all Ella does is slam her locker, huff and puff, and storm away. She can hear Meredith chiding Finn somewhat harshly, but honestly, she doesn't care anymore.

She just wants to get away from everything and go to her room.

And definitely not think about the Villain Kids anymore.

* * *

Ingrid is much more amused with Auradon than she thought she would be.

It isn't such a bad place. The food is pretty good, the people are pretty good looking, and the classes…well, they could be better, but they aren't awful.

But that's not the most interesting thing about Auradon. No, of course it isn't. It's the girl she's been determined to meet ever since she learned she'd be going to this country and leaving the Isle of the Lost (and more importantly, her father) behind.

She wasn't lying when she said that Princess Ella was a gorgeous girl. She is, really; light blonde hair, ice blue eyes, smooth ivory skin…paired with that blue dress of hers, she's practically delicious. She wonders if Ella has a boyfriend…or even better, a girlfriend.

Hell, she wonders how many boys and girls in Auradon like the same gender, anyhow. She sure didn't see any girls holding hands (or boys, for that matter).

She wonders how Auradon feels about a lot of things, really. Premarital sex. Parties. Drinking. They're all big no-nos, probably. Everyone here is a bunch of goodie two-shoes, always wanting to do the moral and upstanding thing.

She imagines pinning Ella up against the wall, moving her hands so that they grip her hips, feeling the bones there as they kiss, pretty pink lips meeting dark red lips. She imagines the girl stiffening at first, then melting into it, her shoulders relaxing as she gets used to the sensations flowing through her.

She imagines the both of them drunk, feeling lightheaded under strobe lights at a party. She thinks of Ella laughing, of not caring who sees when they kiss, not letting go of Ingrid as they dance.

Shit. She shouldn't be thinking of these sorts of things. She came to Auradon with one goal in mind: make the royals of Arendelle feel the pain that her father did all those years ago. She doesn't care if that means all of them die.

She doesn't care. She doesn't care. She doesn't –

"So." Anthony Tremaine is leaning against the doorframe. "Not a day here, and you've already made an enemy in that blonde princess."

"Maybe not, Tony," Ingrid says.

"What are you going to do about her?" He asks. There's a smirk on his face, as if he already knows what she's planning to do.

She turns away, looking outside through the wide window. There's a bunch of kids in blue and gold, playing some sort of game out on a vast, green field. Farther away, on the stands, there are a gaggle of girls, mostly dressed in pastels. If she squints, she can make out dark purple meeting blue. It must be Mal and Ben.

Traitor.

"The same thing I've always wanted to do, you dolt. Seduce, use, then throw away as soon as she gets boring. Hurt her. Break her heart. Make her feel true pain. She deserves it. They all do." Ingrid's voice is ice cold. She won't tell him – or anyone else – about the jolt of electricity she felt when she touched Ella's hand. Or about the way her stomach churns whenever they lock eyes.

Nope. That won't do. Not at all.

"You're a bit of a sadist, you know that? Did you get that from your dad?" Even if she isn't looking at Anthony, she knows the exact look he has on his face; a goofy grin, with one eyebrow cocked up as he folds his arms across his chest.

"Shut up, Tremaine. Get out of here, before I tell Mal about your little crush on her. I'm sure that _King_ Ben wouldn't like you trying to step in on his territory." She sneers at the word King. He looks more like a puppy than a beast. She doesn't know what Mal sees in him.

He doesn't even respond. He leaves in a heartbeat, shutting the door before she can spew more words at him.

The sunlight falls across her room in stripes. The sky outside is a light blue, gorgeous (like everything else in Auradon). The words of her father's tales of life before the Isle ring in her mind.

" _Queen Elsa and Princess Anna. They sabotaged us, Ingrid. They were jealous. They wanted what they could never have; they wanted to be loved, but their hearts were so frozen that nobody would want them. Anna, especially; she pined after me, wanted me to be her prince, but she was so wicked on the inside that I knew I couldn't be with her._

" _And Elsa…her powers, controlling ice and snow…She's dangerous. No one else but you and I seems to be able to get that. She'll wind up killing her entire family one of these days, and the two of us will be able to say, 'I told you so'. But until then, until they realize that I was always right…well. Arendelle was more powerful than our country, and when I told my family of the dangers of Arendelle's royal family, they turned against me. Everyone believed the Queen and princess over me, sweet child, and thus they locked me away on the Isle of the Lost."_

She's always been told about the Queen of Arendelle and her wretched sister. Hardly a day went by without him asking her to recite what she can recall about Anna and Elsa. He's described them so vividly that the image in her head is crystal clear; a clingy, selfish redheaded princess, whose temper had caused her to punch her father, and an even more selfish blonde queen, with glacier eyes and a desire to harm all those who stood in her way.

And it seems that Queen Elsa's daughter is…well, she isn't entirely sure how to describe Princess Ella quite yet. But it seems that she's entirely too trusting. She fell for her apology, hook, line, and sinker. At the rate she was going, she just needed to play her cards exactly right, and, well…sooner than later, she'll be able to make Queen Elsa, Princess Anna, and even Ella pay for all that they did to her father.

Ingrid smiles to herself.

Oh, living in Auradon will bring glory to the Westergaard name once more when she finishes with her revenge. Westergaards always get the last laugh.

And she is determined to get that last laugh.


	3. faking it

**Author's Note:** Sorry guys, this isn't quite as long as the other chapters; mostly because I'm worn out from Christmas. Guess who got _Descendants_ on DVD! :3

Anyhow. I'm really grateful for the reviews, follows, and favorites I've gotten. It means a lot to me, and definitely motivates me when it comes to churning out chapters.

 **pinksakura271** : The idea of Ben getting territorial, so to speak, when it comes to Mal has always been interesting for me. The inner beast inside of him could definitely come out when protecting his girl...and Anthony just might bring out that side of him!

 **alexc1209** : Yes, Hans has definitely been brainwashing her from a young age. You gotta almost feel sorry for her...though as life at Auradon seeps in, she may definitely be changing her mind about what she's been taught. How far do his lies go, exactly? No one knows...except for me. *cough cough* :P

 **DarkDeath000** : Thank you! I'm very flattered by all that. You totally propelled me to churn this chapter out, even if it's a bit shorter than the first two. ^_^

Onto the story, now! :) Enjoy!

* * *

"She doesn't seem that bad, Ella," Finn says one night, during a sleepover at her castle.

It's been a week since the Villain Kids arrived in Auradon, and, well, life has never really gone back to normal since. Ingrid Westergaard seems determined to burrow her way into every aspect of Ella's life; she sits next to her during Painting I and asks her all sorts of questions. _Does your mother really have the power to control ice and snow? Can you do the same? What's your favorite subject? Favorite book? Favorite food? Favorite song?_ It's a rapid fire set of inquiries, one after the other, and Ella tries her best to give short, succinct answers while Ingrid attempts to crawl inside the inner workings of her mind.

Ella snorts, unwrapping one of the chocolates Finn tends to stash in her room. "She is, trust me. She's constantly trying to talk to me, trying to butter me up…Like we're best friends or something."

"You have to understand, Ellie. They were raised thinking bad is good and right is wrong. Maybe she's really trying to get to know you. Maybe," Finn smirks at this, "She's got a crush on you."

Stiffening, the blonde bites her bottom lip, not quite knowing what to say at first. Finally, she responds, "She doesn't have a crush on me. I don't want her to have a crush on me."

"She's pretty enough; be lucky it isn't Yzma's kid, or one of Madam Mim's granddaughters." Finn says, leaning back into the squishy purple armchair in the corner of her bedroom. Ella is lying on the bed, sitting on top of a big lavender comforter with a sun in the circle. On the flatscreen in front of the bed has the local North Riding radio station on, with the Simply Magic's hit "Losin' It (Forbidden Lovers)" playing.

 _"You're trying to hide it, but the truth's shining through your eyes_

 _You've gotta crush you won't admit, so you'll speak only lies_

 _And you're trying to ignore the sparks that you feel_

 _And you're trying to tell yourself that it wasn't real_

 _But you can't bury your feelings, no matter how hard you try_

 _So dive into this forbidden love before she tells you goodbye…"_

Finn grins widely, her eyes lighting up mischievously. "Hey, maybe you can play this at your wedding. You can have a joint one with Ben and Mal!"

"One, Ingrid and I are not getting married; she doesn't have a crush on me, and I don't have a crush on her. Two, even if I _did_ have a crush on her, I wouldn't risk it for a million reasons, the main ones being that she'd try and kill me – just like her father did to my aunt, might I remind you – and the fact that my social life would be utterly decimated. You saw what happened to Merin, Maura, and Meredith, and they aren't even the ones who are…y'know…into…you know." Ella frowns deeply as she says all of this, folding her arms across her chest stubbornly.

"Just because Chad Charming would never invite you to another party again, and Audrey wouldn't ever even glance your way, doesn't mean that your social life would be 'utterly decimated'. Being gay isn't that bad." Finn is filing her nails now, whittling them down with the purple filer she keeps in her purse at all times. "Are you even gay? You've never had a crush on anyone. Or at least, if you've had one, you've never told me. Which you totally should've done; I could have hooked you up with him. Or her. Whatever."

"No. I'm not…I'm not like that. That's…that's gross." Ella has to resist visibly wincing. She sounded so fake in that moment.

Finn glances towards her, raising her eyebrows. "You've always been an awful liar, Ellie."

"I don't know, okay!?" Crap. Crap, crap, crap. The cat's out of the bag now, at least partially. Ella's eyes widen and she clasps her hands over her mouth.

"Well, here's a simple test," Finn says, as if nothing is wrong, "Do you wanna kiss Ben?"

"No."

"Chad Charming?"

"No."

"Aziz Agrabah?"

"No."

"Doug Dopey?"

" _No_!"

Finn sits up straight, her shoulders squared. "That settles it. I can see someone not being attracted to Doug, but Ben, Chad, and Aziz? The hottest boys in all of Auradon? You like girls."

Ella audibly groans, burying her face in her hands. "Please, for the love of all the Gods that exist in Olympus, don't tell anyone. I know you have a difficult time keeping secrets, but this is the one secret I really need you to not tell a soul about. I…I don't really know if I like girls or not. But I don't like boys. And I don't want anyone to know. You see how they treat the DunBroch girls. They'll absolutely kill me at school."

"Hey, hey, hey," Finn says, her voice softer now as she gets up from the armchair and sits on the edge of her bed, "It's alright. I'm not gonna tell anyone. I swear."

"Thank you." She mumbles, feeling the awkward embrace of her cousin.

"You know, you could have told me as soon as you realized this. You didn't have to hold it all in. How long have you known that you were…you know…?"

"I don't know. Forever. Never. I just don't know. I didn't write it down on my calendar.."

Finn snorts at that, and Ella smiles, just a tiny bit.

"It's not gross."

"I know."

"It's not wrong."

"Then why do most people around here act like it is?"

"Why does everyone act like being born on the Isle means you're doomed to follow in your parent's path? Why does everyone dress in pastels, blues, and yellows? Why does everyone in Auradon Prep simultaneously agree that Total Make-Out is the worst show on ABC, yet it's been on for years? Conformity. People like Chad Charming, they go around talking about how all 'the gays' are wrong, or that Merida DunBroch is gross, and everyone follows suit because they don't want to make waves." Finn pauses for a moment. "You'd think they'd be a little more tolerant about these sorts of things, after Jay, Mal, Evie, and Carlos came to Auradon."

"I hate it." Ella says, curling up a bit so that her chin rests on her knees. "I hate it all."

"I know."

They don't speak much for the rest of the evening. Instead, they watch cheesy teen comedy romances, eat a boatload of chocolate, and try to ignore the elephant in the room.

* * *

"You're a lesbian, aren't you?"

That's the first thing Ingrid Westergaard says to Ella one cold Monday morning, as she huddles in the corner of the library during lunch. When she hears this, the hairs on the back of her neck stiffen, and she feels like she's been punched in the gut; did Finn blabber about what they talked about Friday night to everyone else? How many people know? When will everyone start to abandon her? When will her life collapse around her, leaving her in shambles?

"You've got it written all over you, y'know. It's like you've got a sign with flashing neon letters saying, "Hello, I'm gay!". Even if no one else at this school realizes it, I saw it from the moment I met you."

Ella relaxes, but only a miniscule amount; her shoulders are still tensed up, her back as straight as an arrow. She had dragged a chair over to the farthest corner of the library, in between Auradonian historical archives and those DVDs teachers always liked to show on slower class days. She had hoped, had prayed, that Ingrid wouldn't try and seek her out again. But, as usual, this girl seems all too determined to find her.

Ingrid sits cross-legged on the floor beside the dark brown chair, looking up at Ella, looking remarkably like a child for a second. She's wearing a purple hoodie today, paired with white pants and black boots that almost reach her knees. She looks…as much as Ella hates to admit it, she looks really good in purple, white, black, and blue. Better than Ella could ever pull off those dark blues Ingrid tends to wear.

"Don't worry. I won't spill your little secret. Oh, don't try and protest," Ingrid smirks, "If you're not gay, then I'm a talking frog. It's a shame Auradon seems to be so uninviting to those who are different; where I come from, no one gives a shit whether you like girls, boys, both, neither, whatever."

"So what if I am?"

"So what, you say? From what I've seen around here, you're gonna have to live the rest of your pretty little princess life in a pretty little princess fantasy, marrying some man you want nothing to do with, you'll have pretty little princes and princesses, you'll live the absolutely perfect Auradon life, and deep down inside? You'll have to live with that nagging inkling of never feeling whole, all because you never got to be who you are." Ingrid's words are surprisingly accurate, all things considered; they dig and gnaw deep into Ella's brain, seeping in like a vat of poison.

Ella looks down at the book she's reading, trying not to think about what the redhead is saying. "Why do you care?"

"Oh, isn't it obvious? I'm interested in you, princess. What can I say? I'm attracted to blondes. Especially when they've got blue eyes, fair skin, and a picture perfect reputation at school. You're single. I'm single. Wanna mingle?" Ingrid raises an eyebrow at her, cocking a perfectly crooked grin, tugging up lopsidedly at the left corner of her mouth.

Ella lets her hair fall down around her, obscuring her eyesight (save for the words on the page that she keeps reading, yet doesn't fully absorb). "Nice try, Westergaard. But no, not going to happen."

"Just one date, then. Tonight. Or tomorrow night. Or whenever. Your choice." Ingrid's awfully persistent, it seems; almost as much as Kristine when she wants Ella to hang out with her at the Storybrooke Mall.

"How about never?"

Surprisingly, Ingrid laughs. It's not a cruel or mocking laugh, either; it's a genuine one. "I'm not taking no for an answer, here, princess. Just give me a shot, okay? If you don't wanna do it ever again, I swear, I won't even look at you. It'll be as if I never came to Auradon."

Now that sounds like a good enough proposition. Ella tilts her head up slightly, letting the hair fall out of her eyes to see Ingrid's all too eager face. Her eyes are bright with hope, and her hands are shoved into the pockets of her hoodie, and Ella swears that she can see the faintest of blushes across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose, right where there's a light dusting of freckles.

She looks almost… _cute_ , really.

And then Ella thinks, _well, why not_? She won't like it, she knows she won't, but…well, Ingrid says she won't ever interact with her ever again. And all her problems will be over. Boom. Just like that.

"Tonight. Meet me near the forests by the school. And if anyone spots us, I swear, I'll find some way to hex you. I'll get Mal to hex you, if I have to." Ella tries to sound threatening, but…well, she really can't. She's about as dangerous as a kitten, and Ingrid knows it, because she laughs again.

But that hopeful look in Ingrid's eyes? They swiftly turn to relief, as if she was incredibly nervous about daring to ask Ella out.

And that makes Ella feel too weird to describe. The closest she can get to an accurate description is that it feels like her stomach is doing a million flip flops a minute.

"Okay. Tonight at seven. Right by the forests. Dress nicely." And before Ella can even register it, Ingrid gives her a little half-wave, then turns right around and walks away.

The first thought that runs through her mind is, _What the heck was that?_

The second thought that runs through her mind is, _Did I just set up a date with Ingrid Westergaard?_

The third thought? _I actually set up a date with Ingrid Westergaard. Crap._

 _Tonight's gonna be very interesting, indeed._


	4. they wanna break us

Sorry for the wait, y'all! I've been coming down with a bit of a cold, but I'm feeling a bit better, so I decided to push on and finish this chapter haha. Hopefully the next chapter will be out within the week.

 **sonofyaoi** Haha, I knew I'd get that reaction. He might just have a change of heart...but you'll have to wait and see! :P

 **DarkDeath000** Haha, I hope the date is to your expectations. It's not quite what I wanted, but I'm not sure what else I could have done to tweak it, soooo...I'll just leave it as it is.

 **pinksakura271** Yeah, Finn is really one of my favorites. Though I wish I could've use that "NO Finn" phrase, lol. I love it. Eventually, I'll be letting the other VKs into the story more and more, and you're going to get to see glimpses of their personalities. And Ella is quietly considering letting Mal or Ben know what's going on; Ben, definitely, at the very least. They aren't exactly close, but she still has known him since they were kids; going to birthday parties and all that. So she may trust him soon enough to tell him what's going down.

 **alexc1209** Yep. You're right on the mark with that one! Hans is definitely quite manipulative when concerning his daughter. But now that she's going to be seeing what Ella and her family are really like, well, she'll be quite intrigued at how they aren't like her father claimed...:P

* * *

Fall seems to have just arrived in Auradon; the leaves in the forest nearby the Prep school are turning into a thousand varieties of yellows, oranges, and reds, scattering themselves around the long, winding trail. Tiny pebbles and broken leaves crunch under Ingrid's feet as she leans against one of the giant trees near the entrance.

It's ten minutes to seven, and she's smiling to herself as she realizes how utterly easy it was for her to convince Ella to go out with her. The girl's barely known her a week, and already she's molded to want to go on a date. Perhaps not a hundred percent willingly, but it's close enough that she still agreed. Which is good, since Ingrid doesn't want to spend the majority of the year pestering the blonde to go out somewhere with her.

She expected Ella wanting to keep the whole thing under wraps, too. It seems that there are absolutely zero gay people at Auradon Prep – at the least, gay people who are out. Which bores Ingrid to hell and back; where's the diversity? Just about everyone is the same; perfect little princes and princesses, all wrapped up in pastel and makeup and utter goodness.

It makes her want to gag.

Yet, she can tolerate pastels on Ella when she finally arrives, riding on some dorky-looking periwinkle bike. The damn thing even has a tiny little basket on the handlebars, decorated with a big white snowflake.

"So when did Mommy get you that, your tenth birthday?" Ingrid asks, smirking a little.

Ella scowls, pursing her lips ever so slightly. "Twelfth, actually. And my uncle got it for me. He doesn't seem to realize that the target age for this bike is eight to ten year olds."

"Uncle?" Ingrid raises an eyebrow as Ella leans the bike on a tree across the path.

"Uncle Kristoff. He means well, but he's a bit of a dork. Well, a lot of a dork. Sort of like my Aunt Anna." Ella shrugs. She looks like she dressed up – an arctic blue dress that falls to her knees, powder blue heels, mascara, eye shadow, lipstick and gloss. She looks…well, Ingrid doesn't want to admit it, but deep down, she thinks Ella looks really hot.

Of course, she'd look hotter with all of that off. But that doesn't matter. Yet.

"My dad can be a dork, too. You know, when he's not trying to pretend he's still Prince of the Southern Isles. And when he's not remembering how your family fu—I mean, ruined his life." Ingrid shrugs. "No biggie. Mostly the dad kind of dork. You know how it is, right?"

Ella tightens her lips into a straight line, staring at a random spot behind Ingrid. "I never knew my father. He left before I was born. Or it was a fling. I…really don't have a clue." She certainly cares, however, from the sour look on her face.

For a moment, Ingrid almost feels pity for her, what with the look on her face. She decides to throw the girl a bone. "I never knew my mom, if that makes you feel any better. I just assumed she was some slut my dad decided to bone, and nine months later, perfection finally made its way into the world."

Before Ella can properly respond, Ingrid grabs her by the wrist, rubbing her thumb on the faint pulse there. "Come on. You wanted to go into the forest, let's go into the damn forest."

The blonde smiles just a teeny bit as they start to walk. Ingrid notices, amusingly, that when she doesn't let go, Ella doesn't tell her to do so.

"They don't have falls like this on Auradon, y'know. It's just…grey. Really rainy. Fifty shades of grey, probably. I never counted." The small talk Ingrid tries to make is uncharacteristically awkward of her.

Ella shrugs. "I like winter more. Don't get me wrong, autumn is great, but there's something about winter that's more enticing. Maybe it's how pure the freshly fallen snow is."

"The snow is always dirty by the time I get to see it." The redhead responds, not wanting to look directly at Ella anymore. She pulls away from her, stuffing her hands in her hoodie pockets (she feels overwhelmingly underdressed now – jeans, a hoodie, and scuffed boots are all she decided to wear).

"That must be awful. Snow is one of my favorite things." Ella chuckles a little. "Must get it from my mom…"

"Yeah."

They walk in silence for a good, long while. The crickets chirp, and some birds occasionally tweet, and the crunching of leaves beneath their feet is the only soundtrack they have. The sun sets completely and the moon is high in the sky when Ingrid finally decides to initiate another conversation.

"Auradon isn't really gay friendly, is it?" She asks, jamming her hands into her jean pockets now.

Ella's shoulders stiffen considerably at the question. "No. Not really. There's Merida DunBroch and her wife, but, well, they aren't really popular in the royal circle. I guess that's why." She kicks a rock across the pathway; it makes skittering noises as it bounces slightly.

"Her wife? She got married? I thought she hated marriage. That was sorta her whole shtick."

"No, not anymore." Ella shakes her head. "She met some common girl, the daughter of a really poor guy. Love at first sight, I guess. They've got three kids now, all triplets. I'm friends with two of them. I dunno how they managed that…"

"What would your mother do if she found out you were gay? How does she feel about Merida DunBroch?" Ingrid likes this, in a strange way; she likes being able to get under Ella's skin (and so easily, too).

There's a long pause; a few minutes of uncomfortable silence. Finally, Ella says, her voice scratchy with the promise of tears soon to come, "I don't know. I'm afraid to know. She said she'd always love me, but what if she hates me?"

"No one could hate you." Ingrid's response surprises even herself. Yet it managed to pop out.

"Thank you. That…that means a lot." Ella wipes her arm across her eyes, sniffling just a tiny bit. She turns her head slightly away as she does this, trying to hide it from Ingrid.

"Hey. You don't need to thank me." The green-eyed girl grabs Ella's wrists, twirling her towards her so they're face to face. "I'm telling the truth."

The princess is refusing to make eye contact with her; she's staring at the pathway, biting her bottom lip. The moon peeks through the trees, making her hair look like a glossy silver rather than the blonde hue it usually is. Her skin tone is even more prominent with the pale moonlight shining down; she's as white as snow.

She looks gorgeous.

"I'm sorry that you have to deal with this bullshit. If you were on the Isle with me, we could go anywhere we damn well pleased, and no one would dare question us." Ingrid smiles just a bit, letting go of one of Ella's wrists to cusp her face, letting the palm of her hand rest under her chin.

Ella gives the tiniest of hesitant smiles. "But we're not."

"Regardless. I don't really care whether or not we're in Auradon or the Isle of the Lost or anywhere else in the world. We could be together…it's not the end of the world if you're with me, princess. Actually, I might just make your world a million times better." She's stroking her thumb across Ella's jawline now, feeling the smooth, unblemished skin. "Consequences be damned."

Ella closes her eyes, showing the lightest brushing of light blue eye shadow across her lids. "I don't know, Ingrid…"

"Listen. No matter who you fall in love with, love is going to be cruel, and it's going to have its' sacrifices. Might as well let me be the one who entices you, the one who can really show you what it's like to live. I'm a thousand times more interesting than any princess in Auradon. Or any prince, for that matter."

A small sigh of content as Ingrid lets her fingers brush down to her neck, her exposed shoulder, leaving a trail of goosebumps on Ella's skin. "I…What if we get caught?"

"I won't let us. I lived on the Isle all my life; I know how to sneak around. And if they ever do find us…if they've got anything negative to say, they'll have to watch themselves, or else I'll make sure they pay." Ingrid's voice is low now, a husky murmur.

She can feel Ella hold her breath as her hand moves to cusp the blonde's chin and jaw once more. Finally, in a voice that Ingrid can barely hear, she whispers, "Okay."

"You're all mine now," Ingrid replies, letting herself press her lips up against Ella's – gently at first, but slowly becoming more possessive.

 _Mine. Mine. Mine mine mine. All mine._ No one's going to let her say otherwise.

Especially not with the sparks she feels with this kiss. She's kissed boys and she's kissed girls, but not a single one of them have managed to make her feel like her heart has skipped a beat or two. It's electrifying. It's terrifying. And it feels so damn good.

She can feel Ella lean against a nearby tree, stifling a gasp as they reluctantly break apart, her eyes shining with…elation? Anxiety? Ingrid isn't sure. She doesn't really care.

"Holy smokes," Ella mutters, her eyes half-open, as if she's in a daze. And she might very well be, especially if that's her first kiss (which Ingrid is ninety-nine percent sure about).

She grins crookedly. "Felt good, didn't it?"

"Yeah…yeah, it did." The blue-eyed girl's voice is as light as a feather, throaty, like she hasn't used it for days.

"Good." Ingrid smiles, pulling away quickly. She can see the look of disappointment in Ella's eyes as she turns back around, starting to walk once more, towards the entrance of the forest. "C'mon. We've been out here long enough."

She doesn't have to see Ella's face to know that there's sorrow written all over it. "What? It's over already?"

"This doesn't have to be the only date we have, you know. Didn't we just have this conversation? I figured we were together now."

Ella walks up beside her again, and Ingrid can see that her face is a bright pink. "'Together'."

"Yeah, it's called dating. Ever heard of it? You get together, call each other girlfriends, hold hands, kiss, the whole shebang." Despite Ella's blatant nervousness, she laughs, jokingly pushing Ingrid lightly. "Thought you wanted to do that, princess."

Her face turns an even deeper shade of pink. "I…I wasn't sure at first. But I think I want to. As long as you didn't slip me a love potion or anything like that."

"No, I figured my devastatingly beautiful good looks and charming, sarcastic personality was enough to pull you in." Ingrid smirks. "Or the fact that I'm forbidden. That must have some sort of pull, too. The daughter of your family's worst enemy, destined to be apart, yet bound together by some sort of cosmic pull, almost like gravity…that's got to be appealing in some form, right?"

Ella glances up at the sky as they walk, wrapping her arms around herself. "I…I guess so. I mean…you seem sarcastic, and kind of mean, and you're probably no good for me, but…yeah. You pull me in. It's weird. No one else can do that."

Ingrid pauses, letting herself shiver thanks to the cool autumn air. "No one else can pull me in like you do, either."

Before they know it, they're at the entrance of the forest. Far away, Ella can see the security cameras at the edge of campus, and quickly, she moves several feet away from Ingrid, as if they can see all the way to the forest.

"I guess this is it for tonight." Ingrid says, folding her arms across her chest.

Ella nods, smiling just a tiny bit. "When do you wanna do this again?"

"Friday night?" She asks.

The blonde seems to be considering it for a moment before finally responding. "Yeah, that'll work. I don't have much going on then."

"Meet me right here, same time as tonight. I'll bring dinner or something."

She sees Ella grinning, and before she can turn around and leave, she feels the princess kiss her on the cheek, just for a split second. "See you later, Villain Kid." Ella says quietly, just loud enough for the both of them to hear.

"See ya, princess." Ingrid replies, giving her a flirtatious wink. She knows that Ella is expecting more, maybe another kiss or two, but instead, she turns around and walks off to the dormitories, leaving the blonde fairly disappointed, and most likely yearning desperately for more.

Just the way Ingrid wants it. Pull her in, but don't give her exactly what she wants all at once. Make her work for it. Make her beg for it.

Ginny is already asleep when she gets back to her room. Figures; she's obsessed with getting her beauty sleep. Ingrid snorts quietly to herself as she lies down on her bed. It's warm, and fluffy, and bigger than anything she's ever slept on when she was on the Isle of the Lost.

She knows that she shouldn't be feeling anything towards Ella. The girl is supposed to be everything that her mother is – cold and uncaring and cruel.

But she isn't. At least, she doesn't seem to be so. In fact, from the brief moments of time they've spent together, Ella seems…well, she has a bit of a snarky streak to her (who doesn't?), but she's warm, and funny, and caring, and everything her father claims she isn't.

Her father.

She thinks of all the little things her father has done over the years; the sneer whenever he recalls Anna and Elsa, the words of encouragement to Ingrid that felt slightly off, his refusal to allow her to interact with most others (and her breaking that rule in the night only a few years ago).

Then there was the last discussion they had together before she left for Auradon.

"You know that Queen Elsa's daughter will be attending the same school."

"I know."

"And you know that you will eliminate her, her mother, and the rest of their wicked family."

"Yes, Father."

"Make me proud, Ingrid."

"I'll…I'll try, Father."

"No. You will not just try. You will succeed. Westergaards succeed at all they attempt. Unless you're a good for nothing failure like my older brothers. And you aren't, now are you, Ingrid?"

Worry stabbed her in the stomach right then and there, like a dagger, digging in and dragging itself upward. She hated it, hated the feeling that her father could make her experience.

She swallowed, tilted her head up, straightened her shoulders, realigning her spine. "No, I'm not. I won't just try. I will succeed."

"Indeed you will. Now, go off to that school, and bring honor to your family name once again."

And, of course, there wasn't any other response she could use but "Yes, father".

Which is why she's here. There isn't any other reason. Of course not.

Ella is nothing more than a spoiled, petty little brat.

At least, that's who she's supposed to be.

Right? Right. She's just a brat. Nothing more.

This will all end in tragedy. Ingrid can feel it in her bones.

* * *

"And where have _you_ been, young lady?"

The hairs on the back of Ella's neck stand up as she walks into the castle. Her mother is standing near the grand staircase, looking awfully suspicious, with her arms wrapped around her chest and a look on her face that says 'You better not lie to me, Elisabet Annelin'.

Which she'll have to do. She doesn't like doing it, and she's hardly ever done it before, but, well…she can try.

"I was out studying. With…err…Finn and Merin. We have a big test coming up." Ella rubs the back of her neck, avoiding her mother's piercing stare.

"You never use that bicycle. You always tell me when you're leaving. Kristine and Anders didn't have a clue where you were at, and I was worried sick. Elisabet Annelin, I know that you didn't go study with Finn, because Kristine was out with her all evening." Elsa's eyes narrow. "Think twice before you try and lie to me again."

Ella bites her lip, still avoiding her gaze. She can feel her palms getting sweaty. But there's something in her that makes her use an excuse she's never planned on using. "I'm going to be the Queen of Arendelle in a few years, Mother. I don't have to tell you everything. I'm not a child anymore."

She tries to leave and go straight to her room.

Of course, she fails.

She can feel her mother grab the back of her dress – not too tightly, but enough to know that she means business. "You may be a Queen one day, but I'm still your mother, and I have a right to know where you are and what you're doing. So you either tell me what you're hiding, or I ground you for the rest of your life."

"I was on a date, okay!?" Ella snaps. "I was out on a date with someone, and it was _nice_."

She can't see it, but her mother's eyes widen, and she loosens her grip considerably on the back of her dress. "…With who?" She finally manages to ask.

Ella blurts out the first name to come to her mind, because she isn't stupid enough to confess she was out on a date with Ingrid.

"Merin DunBroch, Mom! We went out on a date, and it was in the forest near school, and it was wonderful. So there. Now you know my dirty little secret."

She spins around to face her mom, half expecting her to go and call Merin for confirmation and half expecting her to disown her on the spot. But instead, she sees her mother, looking not nearly as upset as she thought she'd be.

"You're gay?"

"Yes. Yes. I'm gay. Gonna disown me?" She's being irrationally hostile, and she knows it.

Elsa shakes her head immediately. "No, of course not. You're my daughter. I don't care if you like boys or girls, as long as you're happy."

 _But you wouldn't be happy if I told you the truth._

Ella forces herself to smile as her mother pulls her into the longest, tightest hug they've had for quite a while. She awkwardly hugs back, not knowing what to say for a few moments, before she finally says, "Mom, I'm just…can we talk about this in the morning? I'm really tired, and I just wanna go to bed."

"I…okay, honey." Elsa pulls away, cups her face for a moment and smiles. "Promise me you won't keep secrets like this again, alright?"

"Alright, Mother." Her heart is breaking in two, knowing that she's lying straight to her face, but it's for the best. It'd be better if her mom just believed the lies.

They exchange pleasantries, and Ella swiftly goes to her bedroom, locking the door behind her. She sighs again, burying her face in her hands for a moment, before grabbing her cell phone, perched precariously on her nightstand.

She calls up Merin, knowing that there's going to be hell to pay.

"Merin? I'm going to have to ask you to do me a _huge_ favor…"


	5. god help the outcasts

Author's Note: Holy crap, guys. I'm so sorry I haven't updated for so long! Real life got in the way – exams and all that stuff, you know how it goes. I've been trying to find the time to write the entire chapter, but I've had hardly any. But since we're now solidly in the second semester, and I don't have too many lessons at the moment…hopefully, I'll be able to get more chapters out!

Also, how has this gotten nearly 1,000 views? I know it's not a lot, but damn, y'all are good. Has someone linked this somewhere or something? o_o

Just a quick clarification, since someone may be confused (though I doubt anyone will really care, ha-ha) – when students in my version of Auradon Prep attend classes such as Magical Theory and Care of Magical Creatures and Objects, they aren't practicing magic. In Magical Theory, they mostly discuss the history behind the usage of magic, as well as practical applications and what the various usages of magic can do. In Care of Magical Creatures and Objects, they learn how to care for (and, if needed, how to defend against) creatures such as dragons, trolls, unicorns, fairies, and the like. Magical objects would be things such as flying carpets, wands, enchanted broomsticks, and so on. I'd be absolutely shocked if they didn't have such classes at Auradon Prep; they may not be able to perform most types of magic, but surely they would be taught such ideas, I think. Maybe one of these days I'll write a Google doc or something about how I imagine Auradon Prep to function (along with a list of classes that exist in this fic).

DarkDeath - it may not quite end in tragedy. Ingrid is used to things going wrong, whether minor or major. Things may or may not be ending badly. :P

Sakura - Lol, yes, if Ella has any doubts, she should be looking towards Mal and Ben. And Anthony better sleep with one eye open if Ben learns of his little crush.

Guest 1 - Thank you! I'm glad that even people who aren't one for Disney movie fics can read this! I'm blushing at your compliments haha. I too was really excited for Descendants; I just loved the idea from its very inception.

Guest 2 - Here you go. Happy? :P

* * *

She's still confused as to why Merin so heartily agreed to this ruse, but at the same time, Ella knows better than to ask questions. She's grateful enough that the redhead didn't vehemently deny following along with this, so there's no need to inquire further.

They managed to have come up with an entire back story, as well. Merin and Ella, according to the two of them, have been secretly dating for several months. Head over heels and irrevocably in love, they've been sneaking out late at night for quite some time, going on romantic rendezvous in the plentiful forests of Auradon. Too afraid of the repercussions, they've been sneaking around, refusing to tell anyone for fear of the consequences.

It's a chilly morning; Ella shivers slightly under her jacket. But Merin's hand feels warm as she clutches Ella's tightly. They're both alone outside the school; it seems that everyone is hanging out inside, but that's not strange, considering how cold it is.

"Are you sure that you want to do this? Is it really necessary?" Ella asks. She hadn't counted on any of this; she figured that this would be something to tide her mother over for the time being, not…not coming out to the entire school. Not like this. She presses her lips together tightly, praying that the fallout isn't too extreme.

Merin stares straight ahead at the entrance. "If we're going to do this, we might as well do it properly, Ella. Come on, now, _lover_." She smirks at the nickname, which makes Ella weakly smile back in response. "We're going to be the most flamboyant gays to ever have attended Auradon Prep."

"Don't you think being flamboyant is a bit of a stereotype?" Ella says.

Merin shrugs. "Don't know. Don't care. Come on, now, we're going to have to go in there eventually. Are you ready? Promise you won't faint on me?"

Ella's not sure if she's shivering or shaking now. "I'm not making any promises."

"Fine, then. Let's go take a hold on our own fates, consequences be darned." Bravery seems to be a trait that runs in Merin's family; Ella would have thought she'd at least be a tiny bit afraid. But no, she's the one opening the main doors, propping it open so that the Ice Queen's daughter goes in first.

When they walk into the school, no one notices them at first. Merin latches right back onto Ella, closing the door behind them. No one seems to glance at their intertwined hands, the way they cling to each other as they walk through the hallways.

But all of a sudden, it seems as if everyone suddenly realizes what's going on. Ella can see several people nudge one another and point at them; she sees several looks of bewilderment on various people; she knows the news is going to be spreading like wildfire. Rumors and gossip always do, even in a big place such as Auradon.

The first person to actually talk to them is Finn (of course).

"You two…you're…" Finn throws her hands up in exasperation. "I don't care, really, I don't, but you could've bothered to tell me. Or your sisters. They're talking to each other in the bathroom right now."

Merin smiles. "They shouldn't be so surprised. Neither should you."

"I knew Ella was gay! I didn't know _you_ were! I mean, it's not wrong, don't think that's what I'm implying, but you two? Really? Out of all the girls you'd go for, Ella, here I was thinking it would've been someone…not Merin." Finn's eyes are wide in shock. Honestly, it's slightly amusing to watch her reaction, even if Ella feels somewhat bad for leaving Finn in the dark.

Merin's voice is dry as she says, "I'm right here, y'know."

"Sorry." Finn doesn't sound sorry at all. "I'm just…gonna go lie in a corner and think about how thick I am to not have realized you two are together." And, almost robotically, she turns around and walks away. She's not mad, not at all; if she was, she would have punched something. She's just in shock, Ella supposes. She shouldn't have expected anything else.

Surprisingly, no one seems to want to confront them as they walk to their lockers (Merin is two down from Ella). No, it's just the glances and outright stares, the murmurs of confusion that follow them. Ella takes her AP World History and Trigonometry books out of her backpack and into her own locker, keeping her Honors Magical Theory notebook and Painting I sketchbook inside. She can feel Merin taking brief looks at her now and again, almost as if she's deciding whether or not to speak what's on her mind.

"We have to go to class soon," Merin says, finally.

Ella suspects this isn't all she wanted to say, but she's not going to bring herself to pry further. "I know."

"I'll, uh, see you at lunch, I guess?" The redhead slams her locker shut, slinging her green backpack loosely over one freckled shoulder. There's a nervous smile on her face, and her eyes look almost…hopeful.

Surprisingly enough, she hadn't considered spending lunch with Merin. She was so entrenched in her "hiding in the library" routine that she hadn't thought about doing otherwise. "Oh, yeah, definitely."

The smile on Merin's face is more confident and prominent now. "Great. See you then," another smirk appears suddenly, " _lover_." Then – before Ella even has time to react – the ginger quickly kisses her on the cheek, walking away to whatever class she has (Care of Magical Creatures and Objects, she thinks).

And the strangest thing is, Ella doesn't even mind the quick kiss. In fact, it leaves her smiling all the way to Painting I.

* * *

Spending lunch outside the library is…well, it's somewhat familiar, but it's a welcome change nonetheless.

A day ago, Ella would have laughed if you had told her Merin DunBroch would have her arm wrapped protectively around her shoulders. She would've gone into hysterics if you tried to convince her that she'd be pretending to date Merin DunBroch altogether, all the while keeping the fact that her actual girlfriend was Ingrid Westergaard.

But here she is. She feels Merin's loose grip on her, and she oddly doesn't mind. Merin is warm, safe, and she finds herself liking it. It's _such_ a weird feeling.

"You alright?" The redhead whispers in her ear. "I can let go if you want."

"No, we need to keep up appearances. It's…it's fine," Ella replies, muttering her response in the same volume.

Ella would be content enough sitting alone at the table, but as luck would have it, Audrey and Chad just have to saunter up to them.

"So, Ella," Audrey says, smirking, "We're all absolutely _dying_ to know: when did Merin infect you? Everyone knows she got it from her moms, so she never had a chance. Too bad you had to get it; you're almost pretty enough to have gotten a date with a prince."

Ella looks down at the table, not wanting to make eye contact with anyone. She feels tears start to sting at the corner of her eyes. This is exactly what was going to happen; she knew it from the moment this all began. She wishes she had never gone on that date with Ingrid, that she had never roped Merin into this, into any of this.

The curly-haired girl, however, seems to not be fazed; she stands up, letting go of Ella, crossing her arms across her chest instead. "At least my Mam and Mother taught me to not bully people based on things they can't choose. Mal couldn't choose being Maleficent's daughter, and she couldn't choose where she was born, yet you still tried to make her life at Auradon Prep miserable. And now you're deciding that we're not worth basic decency and respect because of being gay? Honestly, Audrey, this is a new low, even for you."

"Hey, watch it," Chad says, taking a few steps forward. He's a ways taller than Merin, and he looks quite intimidating (to Ella, at the least), but he doesn't even make the ginger flinch.

"You watch it, Chad. You're just as bad as her. First Anxelin and all the other girls you've used, then Evie, and now us. What, are you jealous that everyone you dated wasn't as pretty as Ella?" Merin's staring straight into his eyes, a look of blind fury on her face. "I'm sick of you and Audrey and anyone else who hates anyone different from them."

There's a crowd now; just about everyone in the cafeteria has their eyes on Merin, Chad, Audrey, and Ella. The blonde can feel her face turn a dark pink, and she tries not to glance up, for fear of seeing everyone staring.

"Auradon is supposed to be where everyone is accepted. But it seems the majority of you see what you want to see, and hate anything that makes you question your surroundings." It seems these emotions have been bottled up inside her for years; Merin's looking at everyone now, addressing them all. "This shouldn't have to be an issue. We shouldn't have to be discussing this. This shouldn't be such a huge deal. Yet it is. And I, for one, am sick of it." Before anyone can say a word, Merin turns around, huffing and storming off into a hallway, where she can be alone.

Ella can't bring herself to follow Merin out of the cafeteria. She's too stunned to even react, too stunned to even wipe the tears off of her face. To her surprise, Chad and Audrey walk away rather than egging Ella on further (which absolutely shocks her, to be frank; they've never simply walked away from something like this).

Her throat feels dry, as if she hasn't drank anything in days. She can feel herself shaking slightly. She's overreacting again, she knows she is, but she doesn't know what else to do. She wants to close herself off from the rest of the world, build up walls and never talk to anyone again. She hates this, hates coming out, hates everyone's reactions, hates herself for being stupid enough to think that this had a chance of working –

"Don't listen to them. They're idiots." Evie perches herself beside Ella, flipping her hair back behind her shoulders as she does so. "They don't like anyone that's not like them."

"They never have," Ella mutters bitterly.

"Like I said, don't listen to them. You'll be much better off if you do that. Let's get out of this place and go find your girlfriend." The word 'girlfriend' rolls off of Evie's lips naturally, as if it's not a big deal over on the Isle of the Lost. It probably isn't, now that Ella thinks about it; they're much more liberal over there than Auradon will ever be (at this rate, at least).

Reluctantly, the blonde stands up; her legs feel like jelly, but she manages to drag herself out of the cafeteria (with everyone watching her, she's sure). She can hear the tap-tap-tap of Evie's heels as she follows along, but she doesn't listen to what Evie has to say, if she's even saying anything.

Merin's arms are folded across her chest, leaning against a random locker, surrounded by Finn, Anders, Kristine, Meredith, and the other DunBroch triplet, Mara. Kristine is saying something, but her voice is low enough that Ella can't hear until she gets closer.

"Doesn't matter what Audrey thinks," Kristine says vehemently, "But you don't just go around insulting everyone at Auradon Prep!"

"Not everyone," Merin replies.

"Yeah, well, besides the Villain Kids and Ben."

"Doug and Lonnie, too."

"You aren't really helping your case here, DunBroch."

Anders leans his bulky body against another locker. "What does it matter? No one's gonna beat her up over it."

"Social isolation, Anders. Not that you would know, being on the Tourney team. But it's a pretty big deal for a girl."

"I don't give a damn what everyone else thinks of me! I never have." Merin's voice is just a bit louder now, her words more venomous than Ella expected them to be.

The blonde sighs as she takes her (probably) expected place beside Merin. Ella can feel the Highlands-born girl clutch onto her hand, as if Ella is all she has left.

There's a pregnant pause amongst them all. Evie, bless her heart, finally breaks the silence by saying lightheartedly, "So, when's the wedding? Can I make your dresses?"

Meredith snorts. "Better make me a bridesmaid." Mara nods in agreement.

"No one's getting married." The thought of marriage to anyone – Ingrid, Merin, anyone – freaks Ella out. She's sure that there's more than a hint of panic in her voice, but if there is, no one seems to notice (or care).

"I'm still going to make you two matching dresses. If not for a wedding, then for the upcoming autumn ball." Evie's eyes light up at the prospect (Ella inwardly groans – Evie is great at making dresses, but this can only mean hours of being poked and prodded with needles eventually).

Finn raises an eyebrow. "Don't you have to make yourself a dress first?"

"Already did!"

"Of course you did," Finn sighs, shaking her head and smiling slightly.

The two swiftly get into a somewhat heated conversation on the logistics of creating a dress for a ball that won't be happening for nearly a month. Ella is secretly relieved; at least all eyes aren't on her, for what seems like the first time ever since they walked into school.

Regardless, she hasn't been alone all day, either. So, swiftly, she breaks off the physical contact with Merin, takes a few steps away. "I'm gonna go hang out in the courtyard," Ella says, "I need a breath of fresh air."

"Want me to come with you?" Merin asks.

Ella shakes her head, probably a little too quickly to seem quite so natural. "No, I'm fine. I'll see you in class." Before anyone can respond, she turns around and leaves, getting as far away from everything – the cafeteria, the watchful eyes, Merin and Finn and everyone – that she possibly can.

The courtyard itself, thank the Gods, seems to be nearly empty, save for a few people sitting at some tables. She sits at the farthest one away from the entrance, tucked away in a under a tree whose leaves are just beginning to turn orange, yellow, and red.

She finds herself fiddling with the drawstrings on her pale blue jacket, trying to forget about the events of the day thus far. If anyone is staring at her, she doesn't know (and at this point, she's beginning not to care, either). She doesn't even notice the telltale crunching of leaves underneath someone's feet as they walk up to the table she's sitting at.

"Mal and I don't care if you're gay, you know."

Ben's voice is warm, and he tries to keep it lighthearted, as if they're talking about last week's tourney game. His hands are in his pants pockets, and there's a lopsided smile on his face, but really, they both know that what they're discussing isn't at all lighthearted. Ella would have been startled by anyone else, but honestly, Ben is too non-frightening to be startled by, even if he snuck up behind her. He's like a little puppy, almost.

"I know you don't, Ben. You're too sweet to care. And Mal…well, the Isle of the Lost is more tolerant of such things, I've heard. But you saw how they all reacted. You could see the disgust in their eyes. I'm no longer _human_ to some of them." Ella looks away, allowing herself to stare out across the rest of the courtyard. She can see Anthony, Ingrid, Harley, and Ginny from far away; Anthony's doodling in a notebook, Ginny is fixing her makeup, Harley seems to be angrily discussing something, and Ingrid…well, Ingrid is staring straight at her, an expression on her face that Ella can't quite discern. Rage? Despair? Yearning? Heck if Ella knows.

Ben sits down beside her at the picnic table. "Who cares what they think? If someone makes you happy, it doesn't matter who they are. Besides, Merin is great. You two are cute."

She wraps her arms around herself, frowning a bit. She trusts Ben – why wouldn't she? Ben is nice, he's non-judgmental, he's sweet…if there's anyone in Auradon Prep to wholly confide in, it's him. "Here's the thing, Ben. Promise not to tell anyone this, but, well…it's…it's not really Merin I'm really dating."

Ella isn't looking at him, but there's a glimmer of interest in Ben's eyes now, curiosity overtaking him. "Oh? Then who is it, then?" He doesn't like to pry as much as he is right now, but…Ella's on the outer fringes of his friend group. They aren't the closest of buddies, but they've known each other since they were small children, attending one another's birthday parties and having play-dates whilst their parents discussed the matters of their kingdoms. She's nice, and he'd like to be a closer friend to her, if she'd ever open up more, and he doesn't like the idea of her being uncomfortable in her own skin, or having to hide something as big as all this from him (from anyone, actually, not just him).

The King sits himself down beside her, being careful not to sit down too close for comfort. "If you don't want to tell me, you don't have to. I don't want to make you feel uneasy."

"It's not that. If there's anyone I'll tell, it'll be you, it's just…it's kinda complicated." Ella runs a hand through her hair, looking down at the leaf-covered ground.

"Ella," he chuckles, "I'm dating the daughter of Maleficent, dealing with several issues concerning Auradon, and still trying to find time for homework and Tourney practices and games. Complicated is my middle name."

"No, it's not. It's Florian."

"Let's not get _technical_ here," Ben grins. Even with her head tilted down, he can see the smallest beginnings of a smile start to form across Ella's lips.

Despte the tiniest of smiles, the blonde sighs heavily, trying not to make eye contact with Ingrid or Ben. "Well, okay, fine, _Florian_ , here's the situation…I snuck out last night to go on a date with someone else. My mom was there waiting for me when I got home, and she pressed a bit, and eventually I came out to her. And I don't want her to know who I'm really dating, so I blurted out the first name that came to mind."

Ella glances down at the slate gray walkway nearby. "I didn't intend for Merin and I to walk into school holding hands today. I just wanted her to just…keep up a façade in front of my mom and her mom and whoever else found out. But now the whole school thinks we're together, and it's too late to back out now, I guess. No way am I gonna let my mother know that I went out with Ingrid Westergaard –" Ella gasps when she realizes what she said, and presses her mouth over her hand swiftly before she can blurt out anything else.

"Ingrid Westergaard?" Is all Ben says at first. Ella's stomach churns, churns with fury at herself for spilling all her thoughts, with worry at what he'll say, with concern if anyone else has heard their conversation –

"That's great, Ella. I'm happy you're getting along with her, especially if it's that well." Ben laughs a bit, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "See? The kids on the Isle of the Lost aren't so bad. I'm glad you and Ingrid were able to set aside your differences. You two look great together, too." His words are a hundred percent supportive, and he sounds earnest enough that even if Ella wanted to believe he's lying, it's impossible to do so. "Don't worry, either," he continues, his voice a bit lower now, "I won't tell anyone. Except Mal. And I promise that she won't tell anyone. She knows when to keep things a secret."

He feels Ella's shoulders slump a bit – whether in relief or depression, he can't say for sure, but he's leaning towards the former. "You sure?"

"I'm positive."

They sit there in silence for several moments, until the telltale sign of a bell rings and echoes throughout the school. Ben stands up, letting go of Ella, a smile still on his face. "I gotta go to Chorus. See you later, alright? Hey, why don't you text me sometime? We ought to catch up anyways."

"Yeah…yeah, sure, I'll do that." Ella stands up as she speaks, stuffing her hands in the pockets of her jacket. "Talk to you later, Ben."

"Keep your chin up, Ella." He grins one last time at her before he turns around and leaves. Reluctantly – though she wants to do anything but attend Chemistry – Ella finds herself walking to class, too.

Thank the Gods Ingrid and her troupe left before she had to talk to any of them. She doesn't think she could handle a confrontation right now.


End file.
